Waco (/ˈweɪkoʊ/ way-koh) is a city which is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States.[3] It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2010 population of 124,805, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the state.[4] The US Census 2015 population estimate is 132,356.[5] The Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of McLennan and Falls Counties, which had a 2010 population of 234,906.[6] Falls County was added to the Waco MSA in 2013. The US Census 2015 population estimate for the Waco MSA is 262,813.[7]

Waco has a council-manager form of government. Citizens are represented on the City Council by six elected members; five from single-member districts and a mayor who is elected at-large.[27] The city offers a full line of city services typical of an American city this size, including: police, fire, Waco Transit buses, electric utilities, water and wastewater, solid waste, and the Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Heart of Texas Council of Governments is headquartered in Waco on South New Road. This regional agency is a voluntary association of cities, counties, and special districts in the Central Texas area.

The Texas Tenth Court of Appeals is located in the McLennan County Courthouse in Waco.[28]